Gear Institute Best New Gear Summer 2014

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a real advancement in sleeping mat design, and this is one we can get behind. The surface of each pad in Sea to Summit’s new sleeping mat line is covered with big, pillowy cells that independently compress under pressure—meaning the mat remains firmly comfortable no matter which one of your bony points is pointing south. We also love that each mat is made of two independent air chambers, one on top and one on bottom, which makes it nicely adjustable and redundant in case one side pops. The best part? The stuff sack can be used to pump the mats up in just a couple seconds.